I am a K-4 teacher with the Vancouver School District (formerly teaching in Surrey Schools). With 27+ years of experience and a bunch of improvements along the way, I still have so much more to learn. This blog is a way to help me process and share all that I'm discovering on my quest to be the best educator I can be.

Friday, December 25, 2015

Show What You Know with iPad: Using an iPad to Create and Self Assess in the Early Years

I'm often approached by educators looking for the best iPad app. While my students have their favourite go to apps, what works for my students may not work for theirs. In fact even my own students can't decide which app is best because each has their own preference depending on what they are trying to do. It's far less about the specific app, then what that app can do to show learning.

For me, the beauty of the iPad and more specifically the apps available for it, is that it allows my students to create, and show their learning in ways that work best for them. For this reason I have created an iTunes U course titled Show What You Know with iPad: Using an iPad to Create and Self Assess in the Early Years. This is a free course but does require an iOS device to access it through iTunes U . It can be downloaded onto an iPod, iPhone, or iPad.

This FREE iTunes U course explores five open-ended creative apps including Skitch, Popplet, Book Creator, Draw and Tell, and Explain Everything. The course walks the reader through how to use these specific apps and provides examples of how the various apps can been used in a variety of content areas. The course makes you think about how these apps can work best for your students' learning.

In addition the course also explores ways these same five apps can be used as a tool for student self assessment in a variety of content areas. Curious to learn more? Download the course. It's free! You've got nothing to lose. :-)